Electric garment press



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,332

J. c. LEDBETTER ELECTRIC GARMENT PRES S Filed July9. 1924 .....yllll'lp ...111m v A l' Patented Dec. 27; 1927.

. UNITED STATES PATENT/onirica.

JAMES c. LEDBETTER, or .imooKLYiL New YORK. AssIGNoR, BY MESNE .ASSIGN- MENTS, To. THE PRosrERITY COMPANY, INC., or sYnACUsE, NEW YORK, A con- PORATION OF NEW YORK.

application filed July 9,

f' This invention relates to garment pressing machines and more particularly to improved .electric garment pressers. Y Q l Y Y e An object 'of the invention is to produce an 55` electric garment pressing machine lembody- Y ing high temperature lsteam generating but"segregated therefrom, and 'possessing improvied water feed means 1n connection therew1th,as,well as improvements ma unitary/,generating boiler with a steam Adomel adapted to direct .the steam downwardly into a foraminous pressing member. 'Y t Electric steam .generating instrumentali- 1'5.' ties havcbeen `suggested for pressing machines but have allen'short of usefulness' in many particulars; and one-of the predomi-v nating faults with electric steam generators i 'has been the tendency to try to 'generate steam with the same heat which heatsvthe working face ofthe pressing members vwith the result that a safe workin temperature for the face of a pressing mem er tooslowly vaporizes the. water to deliver live hot steam i at Ahigh velocity under pressure to the garment. I adopt a different principle and employ an extremely high temperaturewhich is much too highto heat Ithe pressing members since the cloth would be burned. l I conp centrate all vthe heat, as intended for vaporizing the water, into a small highv speed flash generator7 run the boiler at practically a low cherry red V heat which instantlyA vaporizes the water coming in contact therewith; and

j to make the plan safe, I suspend the boiler p ,in an insulating air space. The air space insulates the boiler fromv all parts of the pressing member to preventundue heat from being communicated from the boiler to the v working face of the pressing member. AndA the air space, in one instance, isv the steam spray chamber down into which the steam Heirs in coursing through the pressing meinber to reach the garment; and a steam dome 4o is employed to form an air space 'around the means within one of the pressingmembers ELECTRIC GARivrEiv'r PRESS.

1924. Serial N0. 724,930. v a

out departing from the principle of the invention.' 1 1 L.

Figure 1 illustrates an upper fragmentary "55 View of a pressing machine embodying the b .electric steam generating4impr0vements and showing the water supply means.

Figure :2 illustrates a .crosssectional View of a *pressingl member showing the unitary y steam generating element mounted therein. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the im- 4proved"steam boiler adapted to vaporize ing pressed. l

'Referring further to the drawings for a detaleddescription of the invention, there `is shown a suitable lform of pressing maf' chineiv'rame which supports a buck 6. fulcrumjshaft 7 is supported in the 'framek 70 and carries a pressing lever 8 on the front v end of'which is mounted a pressing head -9.

water anddeliver steam tothe garment be- Any's'uitable 'operating mechanism such as a toggle or the like may be employedto swing the lever 8 thereby opening thepressing jaw 75 members 6 and 9. Itis understood how both pressing v`members 6 and 9v may. be electrically heated by individual current circuits if necessary.

VThe improved electric boiler of unitary. e0 construction will now" be described. One pressing member, asfor example the head 9, is made with a large screw-threaded opening 11V into which is mounted a^tl1readed Vplug l2 which serves to'close theopening 85 andwhich further serves to ca'iry all'the parts constituting the steam generating device. Furthermore the plug holds the boil'ell in mid air so-to-speak thereby providing a surrounding air insulating medium, fortlie 0l) boiler works athigh temperature, and thus the air space acts to diminish the heat radiated from the boiler. I v

The plug l2 is made with a central opening 13, and the electric boiler for vaporizing the water is heldcentrally in this opening. 'llie boiler comprises a flanged base 14 carrying upstanding spaced insulating walls 1 5 and 16 between which is placed an annular electric heating element 17 drawing current 100 'from' lead Wires 18. The boiler is cupshaped and open at the top. The bottom thereof consists of similarly spaced in sulating walls with a like electric heating element disposed thereinbetween and which receives its current from the feed wires 18. The flangedbase 14 is provided with brackets 19 which arev fastened to the inner wall of the' Vis held centrally in the plug opening 13, and

. theY bracket 19 being small act as a slow or poor conductor of heat thus tending to conserve the heat in the boiler.

A, water spray means is employed to atomize the water into the hot Cup and comprises a perforated nozzle 21 carried on a feed pipe 22. A pipe connection 23 prol vides a connection between the passage 24 in the' plug and the said pipe 22; and in like manner a pipe 25 conveys water from any suitable source to the plug passage 24 and thence to the atomizing nozzle 21 within the boiler.

A steam dome 27 vis disposed, over the boiler and the top of the dome deflects the steam downwardly as it issuesjfrom the cup.

The plug 12 provides a substantial 'base upon which the dome 27 is anchored.

Insulating means may be provided if desired toinsulate the'hot steam dome 27- from the atmosphere, and to this end a hoodi28 is placed over the i dome and similarly anchored to the plug 22 and thus the hood 28 aids in retaining the heat within vthe dome. It is desired that the air medium surrounding the boiler in the dome and in'the spray chamber be maintained at high temperature in order to prevent condensation of the steam in its downward travel, and this follows by virtue' of the large opening 13 in the plug which joins the dome and spray chamber in one continuous air chamber.

Any suitable water supply means may be used for the purpose of delivering water to the generating element, but a preferred type resides in a water tank 30 mounted rigidly on the press lever 8 or fulcrum shaft 7 therei by adapting the tank or reservoir to oscillate with the moving press lever. The tube con'- nection 25 hereinbefore described runs'from the reservoir 30 to the boiler cup 15. p A suitable valve box 31'is included in the pipe line 25 together with a-force pump 32 which is adapted to force a predetermined amount of water from the tanlf 30 to the press'head 9. lThe pump is fitted with a plunger 33 actuated by suitable means such as a bell crank 34 which in turn is worked by a pull rod 35 and handle made -accessible to the operator standing in front of the machine. By pulling on the rod-35 the plunger drives a small quantity of water downwardly past the valve box and through the pipe Q5 into lthe boiler whereupon the water is sprayed from the nozzle 21 upon the hot in.- ner wall of the boiler which instantly vaporizes thewater intosteam. The steam rapidly Hows upwardly and is diverted downwardly in the direction of `the arrows'. The outer wall of the .boiler being hotl tends to further vaporize and superheat the steam in its downward movement until the steam flows under high pressure through the opening 13 into a steam receiving or spray chamber 37 and outwardly' through perforations 38 onto` the work.

Since the water tank swings with the press lever, no elbow water joint is required since the pipe 25 is rigidly installed; and hence no packing glands are required making for simplicity in construction. operation and maintenance.

What I claim is:

' 1. An 'electric garment pressing machine comprising in combination pressing members, a lever by which a pressing member is moved in relation to the.

other,'a water tank carried with the lever above the latters fulcrum point to balance itself thereabove,` steam generating means inside the pressing member, a pipe connection made between the tank and generating means, and means for discharging water from the tank to the pressing member.v

2. An electric garment pressing machine comprising in combination cooperating pressing members, a lever by which a pressing member is-moved in relation to the other, a water tank carried bv the lever, steam generating means inside the. pressing member, a pipe connection made between the tank and generating means, and a manually operated pump for forcing a predetermined quantity of water from the tank into the pressing member. y

3. An electric garment press comprising ahead and buck, a lever adapted to open and close the press, a fulcrum shaft on whichr the lever pivots, a water reservoir balanced on the fulcrum shaft and adapted to oscillate therewith, a water tube connection running from .the reservoir to one of the pressing members, and steam generating means in the said pressing member by which the water is vaporized. l

cooperating 4. An electric garment press comprising Y .a head and buck, a .lever adapted to open and close the press, a fulcrum shaft on which the lever pivots, a water reservoir balanced on the Vfulcrum shaft and adapted to oscillate therewith, a water tube connec- .tion running from the reservoir to one of the pressing members, and an electric boiler steam generating means in the s aid pressing member by which the water is vapor-ized.

5. An electric garment vpress comprising a head and buck, a lever adapted to open and close the press. a fulcrum shaft on which the lever pivots, a water reservoir mounted on the shaft and adapted to oscillate therewith,` a water tube connection running from the reservoirto one of the pressing members, steam generating means in the said pressing 13ov l press plate, a spray chamber adjacent the perforated press plate, said press head beingr provided with an opening therein leading to the spray member, an apertured plug insertedfin the opening, an electric water boiler mounted on the plug and removable from the press'head with the plug, and means tor supplying water to the boiler which produces steam and discharges the same downwardly thru the apertured plugr into the spray chamber.

T. An' electric garment press head and steam generator, comprising a perforated press plate, a spray chamber adjacent the perforated press plate, said press head being provided with an opening therein leading to thek Spray chamber, an apertured plug inserted in the opening, an electrically heated cup mounted in the plug, and means for Spraying water into the cup thereby lgenerating steam which discharges through the aperture/d plug into the spray chamber.

8. An electric garment press and electric steam generator therefor comprising a pressing member provided with a spray chamber, and provided with a foraminous pressingr face through which steam is ejected onto the work, a closed bottom cup, electrical heating means encased in the cup wall, water :spray means in the cup, means for forcingr ater to the sprayingr means, an opening;r underneath the cup leading to the spray chamber, and a steam dome placed over the cup and opening which directs the Steam lownwardly toward the spray chamber as it x from the cup.

il. in electric farment press and electric steam generator therefor comprising a pressimgn'iber prot ided with a spray chamber, fudgtrovided with a foraminous pressing fe '.iircuffl which stean is ejected onto the .l Losed botem cup, electrical heatfcafrencased in the cup wall, water u in the rap, a pump arranged 'i r to the spraying means, an l the cir calling tf1 the 1 wenn non/x placed f.

"or comprisn' s; with a- L:pray

nir,

x. tgt-,1 cup, eleci f.. cup wall,

onto the means iu the cup, means for toi-ring water to the sprayingy means, au openinpr underneath the cup leading to the .spray chamber, a steam dome placed over the cup and opening which directs thc ,steam downwardly toward the spray chamber as it issues `from the cup, said pressing member being provided with air opening in the Abach face thereof opposite the foraminous pressing face, a plug' upon which the. a toresaid cup and steam dome are mounted, and said plug being' installed in aforesaid opening of the 'pressing member.

ll. An electric `garment press and electric steain generator therefor comprising a pressing member provided with a spray chamber, and provided with a foran'iinous pressing face through which steam is ejected onto the worl. a lever adapted to open and close the press. a closed bottom cup, electrical heatingy means encased in the cup wall,

`water spray means in the cup, an openingr underneath the cup leading to the spray chamber, a steam dome placed over the cup and opening which directs the steam downwardly toward the spray chamber as it issues from the cup, a water reservoir fixed on the lever to swing up and ldown therewith, and means for forcing water from the reservoir to the electrically heated cup.

l2. A press comprising a jaw-provided with a central aperture, supporting means secured in the aperture, an electrically heated receptacle mounted on the supporting,T means and having an opening out through which steam flows, means for supplying Water to the receptacle for conversion into steam, and a steam dome disposed over the receptacle enclosing the aperture to direct steam from the receptacle through the aperture, and said liaw being provided with a perforated steam spray chamber connected with the aperture.

13. An electric water boiler and steam generator and 4press jaw comprising in combination, a pressing plate having a foraminous pressing,surface and having a spray chamber, a base on which the boiler parts are assembled, said base beine* centrally apertured, means associatld with i, pressingA plate and base whereby the sai-t tri-e is infrared to the plate with apt-rt" leadinf` directly into the spraj,` cnam" a, supportif'; means scarred in the plu; a erture, an electrically te? rece tert.v a .nted on the sspportim? means and ir; ;r upper opening outJ Mmearis for supy le for #Funversion tisposed ver the generatiiz gaperture, id direct the steam t iran the lgenerating receptacle r nigh the plug ap ertnre and into the spray chamber.

t4. A press comprising in combination,

cooperating press jaws and operatingy means therefor, a water boiler, .means to heatv the water boiler, a supporting.;r device attached to the boiler and press jaw to hohl the Water boiler in spaced relation on and to one of the press jaws, said supporting means providing an air space between the boiler and press jaw, means to supply water to the boiler, said jaw being' provided with a steam receiving chamber, and means to direct steam from the hoiler through the air space to the steam receivin;r chamber.

15. A press comprising in combination, cooperatingr press jaws and operatingr means therefor; one of said press jaws being provided with an opening, and with a steam receiving chamber; a deine disposed over and enclosing the opening, a steam generator mounted inside the dome adjacent the opening, and water force feed means connecten with the steam generator.

1G. A presseouiprising in combination, rooperating press jaws and operating means therefor, a water receptacle carried on one of the jaws, means to convey water into the closed bottom of the receptacle to be vaporized inside the receptacle, heatingr means to maiuta'iui the receptacle at high temperature inside and outside thereof, the upper end of the receptacle being open to permit steam t0 tlow theret'rom; a dome disposed over the receptacle. close to the upper end thereof and close to the outer surface thereof, and thereby forming a restricted steam passage downwardly alongside the receptacle causing steam to be superheated as it passes alongside the outer wall of the receptacle; and said jaw being provided with a steam receiving chamber into which the superheated steam flows.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES C. LEDBETTER. 

